Thiruvananthapuram

The capital of the state of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram or the City of the Sacred Snake, is built over seven hills. Named after Anantha, the thousand - headed serpent of Hindu mythology, the city once formed a part of the Travancore kingdom, its capital at Padmanabhapuram, now a part of Tamil Nadu.

Thiruvananthapuram is, decidedly, one of the cleaner and well-planned cities of the country. The city's scenic appeal, its enchanting beaches, and overwhelming greenery only add to its uniqueness. It embodies the magical feel of Kerala, as a whole, and lends terrific insight into the culture of the state. The red-tiled roofs, the never-ending stretches of palm trees, the maze of narrow, winding streets and above all, the sea, make for a fascinating mixture. There is an element of understated and effortless elegance about the city, which leaves a lasting impression on the visitor. Oh what else can define in a better way the perfect indian holiday. Tourism in india draws a lot of crowd to Kerala and Thiruvanthapuram is truly the modern allure of Kerela's rustic beauty. All major Hotels in India have their own spas and resorts in Kerela to cater to the exploits of thier loyal base of customers.

:: PRIME PILGRIMAGE ATTRACTION ::

SRI PADMANABHASWAMY TEMPLE
This temple, dedicated to Vishnu, was constructed in the Dravidian style by a maharaja of Travancore in 1773. Only Hindus are allowed inside, and even they have to wear a special dhoti. The temple incorporate a tank in which the faithful bathe.

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::OTHER ATTRACTIONS::

MUSEUM, GALLERY & ZOO
The zoo and a collection of museums are in a park in the north of the city. The museums are open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 4:45 pm, but not only until1 pm on Wednesday.
Housed in a bizarrely attractive, decaying, Indo- Saracenic building dating from 1880, the Napier Museum has a good collection of bronzes, historical and contemporary ornaments, temple carts, ivory carvings and life-size figures of Kathakali dancers in full regalia.
The Sri Chitra Art Gallery has paintings of the Rajput, Mughal and Tanjore schools, together with works from China. Tibet, Japan and Bali. There are also many modern Indian paintings, including works by Ravi Varma, Svetoslav and Nicholas Roerich.
The Zoological Gardens are among the best designed in Asia – set among woodland, lakes and very well-maintained lawns-but some of the animal enclosures are miserable. The zoo is open Tuesday to Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm.
The separate Science & Industry Museum is not that interesting unless you’re a high- school science student.

PUTHE MALIGA PALACE MUSEUM
The Puthe Maliga Palace Museum is housed in wings of the 200-year-old palace of the Maharaja of Travancore. Notable for its Keralan architecture, the palace took 5000 workers four years to complete. Many of the exhibits reflect the spice trade with China and Europe.

VELLI TOURIST PARK
This well-designed park contains fine sculptures by local artist Canai Kunuram. The sculptures portray a distinctive sense of balance and harmony sometimes combined with the erotic

:: AROUND THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ::

PADMANABHAPURAM PALACE
Although it’s actually in Tamil Nadu, this fine palace is easily visited from Thiruvananthpuram or Kanyakumari. It was once the seat of the rulers of Travancore, a princely state for over 400 years, which included a large part of present-day Kerala and the western littoral of Tamil Nadu. The palace is superbly constructed of local teak and granite, and stands within the massive stone town walls which kept Tipu Sultan at bay in the 18th century. The architecture is exquisite, with ceiling carved in floral patterns, windows laid with jewel-coloured mica, and floor finished to a high polish with a special compound of crushed shells, coconuts, egg-white and the juices of local plants. The 18th –century murals in the puja room on the upper floors have been beautifully preserved, and surpass even those at Mattancherry in Kochi. Ask at the curator’s office for special access.
With its banqueting halls, audience chamber, women’s quarters, recruiting courtyard are and galleries, the palace is a must for anyone visiting this part of the country.
Padmanbhapuram is 65 km south-east of Thiruvananthapuram. To get there, you can either catch a local bus from Thiruvananthapuram (or Kovalam Beach) or take one of the Kanyakumari tours organised by the KTDC.

-: FESTIVALS :- The festival, that the entire city, anticipates with great enthusiasm is Onam, which marks Kerala's new year and harvest season, and comes around in August-September. The other spectacular event that transfigures the entire city is Thrissur Pooram, the annual temple festival.

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